


Fox Trot

by flippyspoon



Series: Modern and Interesting: Drabbles and Ficlets [14]
Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-19
Updated: 2014-07-19
Packaged: 2018-02-09 12:37:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1983288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flippyspoon/pseuds/flippyspoon





	Fox Trot

Jimmy drank little at the servants’ ball. He knew he had a tendency to be a bit foolish when he drank, and he was trying to be good about that sort of thing nowadays. So he couldn’t blame booze for the way his eyes kept following Thomas as he danced with Lady Mary. Even if he could blame booze, he had no excuse for the way his eyes had followed Thomas for over year, even as inwardly he had often cursed the man.

Jimmy was dancing with Lady Rose, who was a good dancer, and everyone was watching them. Alfred had muttered to Jimmy that he was awfully lucky to be dancing with Lady Rose. Jimmy didn’t see it that way. She was alright. She talked a lot and she was too…soft.

_Not that again_ , he thought.

There were thoughts. There were feelings. He had pushed them away and shoved them down. That had worked for so long. Then Mr. Barrow had jumbled everything up.

Sometimes he thought, W _ell, it’s not a problem with girls. I just haven’t found one I like. At all_.

That wasn’t working as well anymore.

“You’re a lovely dancer, James,” Lady Rose said brightly as they swept across the floor.

“Thank you, my Lady. You cut a fine rug yourself.” Jimmy smiled in her general direction, but he was looking over her shoulder at Mr. Barrow, who was now dancing with Lady Edith.

Mr. Barrow seemed so different. Jimmy couldn’t put his finger on it.

_Oh, he’s smiling_ , Jimmy thought.

Not that Jimmy never saw Thomas smile. He often did, especially since September (outside of that awkward period of a distant sort of grief over Mr. Crawley) and nearly always because Jimmy had done something particularly kind or at least not-rude. Those sorts of smiles embarrassed Jimmy a little.

But now Mr. Barrow looked like he was genuinely enjoying himself apart from anything that had to do with Jimmy and he seemed so easy and untroubled by the world. Thomas laughed at something Lady Edith said.

“Well,  _you’re_  having a wonderful time, aren’t you?” Lady Rose said suddenly.

“Hum?” Jimmy realized he was grinning and he worked his lips into a straight line. “Oh. Yes, my Lady.”

_I wonder if he’s ever danced with a man_ , Jimmy wondered.  _But who leads?_

Then he thought,  _I’m being so foolish._

At the end of the song, Mr. Barrow broke away from Lady Edith just as that visiting valet, Green, broke away from Lady Mary. Jimmy hadn’t spoken to Green much. He was valet to Lord Gillingham who was staying at Downton for Christmas. But Green was handsome and older than Jimmy.

And… he was just now giving Thomas the eye.

At least Jimmy thought so. Thomas was facing away getting a drink, while in front of the Dowager Countess and everyone, as he spoke to Lady Mary, Green was, yes,  _clearly_  looking Thomas up and down. Jimmy watched as Green spoke to Thomas, who turned around and struck up a conversation.

Come to think of it, Thomas had barely spoken to  _Jimmy_  all night.

_Funny, I thought we we’d gotten to be close friends_ , Jimmy thought.  _It’s the servants’ ball, shouldn’t the servants be socializing?_

Well, Thomas was clearly socializing.

With Green.

Who was standing awfully close.

Jimmy nicked a drink off a passing platter and took a healthy swallow.

_Well, but that’s good though_ , Jimmy thought.  _Maybe if he gets some attention of that sort he won’t be so focused on me all the time._

He felt very sorry for himself. Muddled.

He finished his drink.

When he was certain no one was paying attention to him, he slipped out and headed back down to the servants’ hall, grabbing another drink on the way.

He took off his jacket and sat down at the piano. He was playing something melancholy, occasionally sipping from the scotch, when he finally heard someone walk in.

“I wondered where you’d gone off to,” Thomas said. Jimmy’s cheeks warmed at the sound of his voice.

He glanced over his shoulder. Thomas looked flushed and happy; his hair was in his eyes and he’d done away with his jacket.

_I shouldn’t bring him down now_ , Jimmy thought, stubbornly smiling.  _He never looks this content._

“Just felt a bit stuffy up there,” Jimmy said.

“Feels stuffy down here with that dirge you’re playing,” Thomas said. “Lighten it up, would you?”

Jimmy went into “Hello, Ma’ Baby,”

“That’s more like it!” Thomas said. He clapped his hands once and danced a little jig, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Jimmy couldn’t play for laughing.

“I’ve never seen you like that!” Jimmy said.

“Send me a kiss by wiiiire,” Thomas sang along. “Baby, my heart’s on fiiiire…” Thomas crossed the room and leaned against the wall nearby. “Ah… I love the servants’ ball. I don’t know why.”

“It’s nice to see you lookin’…” Jimmy shrugged and stopped playing. “I don’t know. Carefree.”

Thomas laughed softly and looked away. “It’s the wine,” he said.

Jimmy nodded and played for a bit as Thomas tapped his feet.

“Have you ever danced with a man?” Jimmy said abruptly.

Thomas rose an eyebrow. “Uh…yes.”

“Who leads?”

“Whoever’s  _taller_ ,” Thomas said dryly.

Jimmy snorted and started playing his “dirge” again. “You know, you can’t foxtrot for anything.”

“Rubbish!”

“You can waltz, but you foxtrot like a sack of potatoes,” Jimmy said smirking. He stood up and said, “Here, I’ll show you.”

“Uh…” Thomas took a step back.

“Oh, come on. It’s…Christmas!” Jimmy said. “You never learned how to lead properly, I bet.”

“I lead just fine.”

Jimmy approached Thomas and made as if to dance with him, holding out his hands. Thomas didn’t look quite so carefree anymore. Thomas reluctantly stepped up to him and started to put a hand around Jimmy’s back.

“No, no,  _I’m_  leading,” Jimmy said. He took Thomas’s hand in his. His own hands felt a little sweaty. He hoped Thomas wouldn’t think anything of that. “And your left hand on my shoulder… There.” He put his own arm around Thomas, setting his hand on Thomas’s lower back.

“Oh, I feel ridiculous,” Thomas muttered. He glanced up at Jimmy and the corners of his lips quirked down. He stared down at their feet.

“You ought to let someone else lead once in a while,” Jimmy said.

“I’m usually dancing with a woman,” Thomas pointed out.

“Yes, well, you know what I mean,” Jimmy mumbled. “No, no, you have to look at me.”

Jimmy held Thomas’s hands tighter and stepped in close; as close as a person ought to stand to dance. Thomas raised his eyes and Jimmy felt all sorts of sensations. Pinpricks of light dancing down his arms. Something clenched and cold was suddenly open and warm.

“Mmm.” Jimmy nodded and cleared his throat. “Right.” He started to hum a tune and lead them in a faltering fox trot. “No, let  _me_ lead-”

“Right, sorry,” Thomas said.

“And keep lookin’ at me…” Jimmy muttered. “Back step, back step… Good…”

“Hmm.”

“You have to teach your partner how to anticipate your next step,” Jimmy said.

He kept eye contact with Thomas.

“And how do you do that?” Thomas said.

“Just give him a nudge.”

He meant to say  _her_. He would obviously be dancing with a woman the next time he danced. Give  _her_  a nudge.

Jimmy leaned slightly to the left and Thomas followed into a turn. “Like that,” Jimmy said.

They found a rhythm. Upstairs, the music had gotten much louder and bled into the hall. Jimmy recognized the song. It was “Hindustan.” Perfect for foxtrotting.

“Do you fancy Green?” Jimmy blurted.

“Eh…”

“Only he’s a bit foppish, isn’t he?” Jimmy said, curling his lip.

“ _He’s_  a bit foppish?”

“But do you like him?” Jimmy said, ignoring the implication. Thomas seemed hesitant. Jimmy held him just a little tighter. Their dancing slowed.

“He likes  _me_ ,” Thomas said quietly.

“Yeah,” Jimmy said. “But what if… What if somethin’…changed?”

“Meanin’?”

Jimmy took a breath and stopped dancing. Thomas started to pull away but Jimmy didn’t let go. “Wait…”

It felt  _good_  to hold Thomas. That was the thing of it. Bloody hell for all the rest.

It was Christmas after all.

“Jimmy-”

“Just let me _lead_ ,” Jimmy said. Thomas had no response to that, but his eyes were wide and wary. “Alright, just… Just hold on a minute.” He dropped Thomas’s hand, but Jimmy’s other arm was still around him as they stood in a corner of the servants’ hall. He rested his free hand on Thomas’s shoulder. “Alright…aright.”

He pecked Thomas on the lips.

Thomas stared at him.

“Are you drunk?” Thomas said.

“No. A little scotch but…no.” Jimmy swallowed and said, “That wasn’t so bad.”

“Do you…want somethin’ better than not so bad?” Thomas said.

Jimmy was scared, but he nodded anyway.

He’d given Thomas a nudge after all.

Thomas slowly leaned in and kissed Jimmy. He tasted faintly of wine and cigarettes, his mouth warm as their lips locked together. The pinpricks of light came back and foxtrotted all through Jimmy’s body. He held Thomas close and met his tongue, pressing him into the corner. Thomas’s thumb caressed his cheek. When Thomas broke away, Jimmy stood, dumbly blinking and breathless.

“Not so bad?” Thomas said, seeming nervous when it took Jimmy a long time to reply.

“Bloody brilliant,” Jimmy murmured. “I just… Wait a minute…”

He kissed Thomas again. Again and again. Finally, he pulled back, laughing softly and scratched his ear. “Ah… Yeh. Bloody brilliant.”

Thomas glowed, his eyes shining. “Good,” he said simply.

Jimmy nodded and mumbled, “Yeh… Yeh, good.” He grinned and searched Thomas’s eyes. He looked more than content now. Thomas didn’t look so terribly surprised. Not half so surprised as Jimmy was at himself.

“You want to know somethin’ funny?” Thomas said.

“What?” Jimmy whispered, unable to look away.

“I’ve never danced with a man before.”


End file.
